Disclaimer: While I'm really flattered if you think I'm good enough to own W.I.T.C.H, I don't.

"So what am I going up against Dean?" Tom asked Dean Collins calmly. "Obviously it's not something from the fairy realm or the lands of the dead, or you'd have asked one of the other mages to take care of it."

Dean nodded. "True, true." Dean paused. "There's a sudden flow of demons from a portal that was opened between our world and theirs when the Sheffield School gym caught fire. It seems there was something big going on magic-wise there and it's created a breach."

Tom sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Is the portal still open?" he asked in a weary tone of voice.

"No, whatever was there earlier appears to be reasserting itself." Dean answered calmly. "Listen, Tom, I'm sorry you have to deal with this, really I am."

Tom Lair gave a bitter chuckle. Because Heaven forbid we have the right mage for the job most of the time."

"Tom, there's something else we need to talk about." Dean cut in before Tom could leave. Tom raised an eyebrow. "I've had a series of visions of late and your daughter's involved with them." Tom's previously good-natured expression changed into a scowl and Dean really didn't blame him. However, he knew that Tom would never forgive him if he didn't say anything.

"Yes. These were extremely powerful visions Tom, you need to know what I've seen…" And Dean pressed on, describing his visions to Tom perfectly.

"What's going on Will?" Taranee asked as the Guardians gathered outside of the Sheffield Institute, Will, Irma and Hay Lin sitting on a bench, while Taranee and Cornelia stood.

Cornelia had her arms crossed and a hostile expression on her face, although whether this was because she was STILL denying their magical powers or because of the apparent betrayal by their friend Elyon, well that was well beyond anyone's ability to understand. Except perhaps ironically, Elyon herself.

"Don't ask me…" Will paused as she closed her hand into a fist, before opening it to reveal the Heart of Candracar. "…The answer is here!"

"My Grandma's story was right! We've really got powers!" Hay Lin exclaimed excitedly. Cornelia rolled her eyes.

"Listen Hay Lin…" Cornelia began, but Hay Lin cut her off.

"But you've got to believe! If not, try…"

"TRY? Try to do WHAT?" Cornelia replied cuttingly before Hay Lin could finish.

"Look inside yourself for, instance." Hay Lin finished, half-glaring at the wall Cornelia had placed her hand against.

A vine snaked its way up Cornelia's arm, causing her to jump away with a shriek of fear and shock.

"Did….did I do that?" Cornelia asked Will in an uncertain tone.

"Yes, Cornelia! The powers of Earth are yours now." Will replied, before turning to face Taranee. "And you Taranee, have been given the powers of fire!"

"Hey! Before you do anything, let me get out of the way!" Irma joked, leaping back in mock fear.

"I'm really scared Will! I WANT TO UNDERSTAND ALL THIS!" Taranee cried out.

"We all want to understand….but it will take time." Will answered in a reassuring voice.

0000000000000000000

Tom Lair glared at Dean and frankly Dean didn't blame him. Most fathers cared about their daughters and Tom was closer than most. Finally, Tom spoke.

"Have you told the others about this?" He asked, keeping his voice level.

"I'm telling Joan later today and I intend to let the other mages know ASAP." Dean replied.

"Good. Well thanks for the warning." Tom continued as he got up and left. Dean Collin's watched him leave without saying a word. After all, what could he say to a father at risk of attending his own daughter's funeral?

When Irma Lair arrived home that evening, her dad was waiting for her with a 'we need to talk' expression on his face.

"Whatever it is, I'm entitled to a lawyer!" Irma exclaimed quickly. Tom grinned at his precious daughter's wit.

"Irma, you're not in trouble." He said soothingly with his hands held up in front of him.

"I'm not?" Irma asked in surprise. Tom fought to stop himself from laughing at her expression.

"No Irma, you're not." Tom paused. "Has anything…unusual happened to you lately? Anything that seems too weird to be true?"

"What, like the triple bill of the X-files coming to DVD?" Irma asked jokingly. Tom gave his daughter a look. "No dad, trust me everything's fine." She finished, rolling her eyes. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Just a hunch really."

Joan Lin looked at Dean and sighed. "Well Mr Collins, I'll try talking to her, but Hay-Hay is more likely to talk to my mother about magic than me." Joan looked wistfully at her mother's photograph standing on the wall. "My mother has always encouraged my daughter to believe in magic, far more than I ever did." Dean grinned.

"Maybe I should just ask your mother instead." Dean Collins joked and Joan Lin glared at him. "Ok, I'm going!" he said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

Tom shook the AK-47 magazine dry as he pulled it out of the holy water, before casting the spell once more.

"Three magazines of AK-47 ammunition spelled up spells an infestation to me." He heard Anna say quietly. "An infestation of what particular local magical nasty this time though?"

"A group of demons by Sheffield." Tom replied grimly. He clicked the first magazine into the AK-47 and cocked it. "Shouldn't take long."

Anna stepped up to her husband and gave him a quick kiss. "A kiss for luck and a safe return." She whispered to him.

"Hey, I'll be ok." He replied, giving her a quiet smile. "I won't even have a scratch, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Mr Lair." Anna replied with a grin as he stepped out of the door. Tom merely grinned back.

Theresa Cook gave Dean Collins a look she normally reserved for the very worst offenders brought before her in court. Dean Collins automatically pulled away, despite himself.

"So let's get this straight. You think my Taranee is a part of something highly magical, but you don't know what it is." Theresa Cook said angrily.

"That's about the size of it." Dean replied

The first demon looked exactly like the classic image of the devil. Goat legs, human torso and horns, combined with a three pronged trident jumped up at Tom and stabbed at him. Not even bothering to take aim, Tom fired a single shot through the demons chest. There was a sudden squeal and the creature dissolved.

Without even looking, Tom swung the AK-47 around to face another demon creeping up behind him and fired again. This time it was some kind of snake.

"Why is it that demons are so unimaginative?" he asked himself as he put another shot into a spider shaped demon. "They can take whatever shape they like, and still they keep using the same shapes."

"Maybe it's because the old ones tend to work." A seductive voice whispered in his ear. Spinning around, Tom's AK was knocked aside by what at first appeared to be, an impossibly beautiful woman, her appearance almost ethereal. Tom pulled back and narrowly avoided having his eyes clawed out as the woman's clawed hand narrowly avoided scratching his eyes out, but left a scratch mark on his cheek. Pulling up his revolver he fired twice and the woman dissolved away.

"Blasted Succumbus's." he cursed under his breath. Picking up his dropped AK-47, Tom continued to clean out the demons from the gym.

Dean nervously approached the front door of Susan Vandom and nervously prepared to knock. His palms were all sweaty and his heart was racing. In short, he felt like a teenager about to talk to the girl he was crushing on for the first time, which was ridiculous, because Dean knew full well that this wasn't his first time meeting Susan Vandom. It wasn't even a date even, just a message.

"Oh boy, I've got it bad." He said with a sigh and knocked.

"Dean what are you doing here?" Susan asked in surprise. Dean took a deep breath and plunged straight in.

"Susan, I'm afraid we need to talk."

"Yes?" Susan asked curiously.

"It's about Will…"

Tom yawned as he sat waiting for the cleanup crew to arrive. Gingerly, he touched the scratch the Sucumbus had managed to land on him.

"Anna's never gonna let me forget this." He murmured to himself.

Dean could feel the waves of anger rolling off of Susan Vandom and not for the first time, wished he'd never had that vision.

"I'd like to think that if Will does start showing magic, that she'd be prepared to talk to me at least." Susan stated with calm anger.

"Susan, I don't even know if she's started yet. Just…keep an eye out. Please?" Dean begged.

"I will do." Susan replied firmly. "Good night Dean."

As Dean left, Susan let out a deep breath. Although she didn't want to admit it, Dean's words took her back to a Seer who'd informed Susan, very proudly, that Will was going to be a mage of unparalleled importance. Susan however, wanted her daughter to have her own chance at a relatively normal life. She certainly wouldn't wish magic on a fourteen year old. Susan just hoped that Dean's visions were wrong.

Still, in her heart, Susan knew that wasn't the case. And that was what worried her most of all.